Automatic railway-switch



No. 609,753. Patented Aug. 23, I898. J. J.-BENES.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

(Application filed Mar. 31, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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No. 609,753. Patented Aug. 23, I898.

J. J. BENES.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

(Application filed Mar. 81, 1898.) (No Mqdal.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. BENES,OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 609,753, dated August 23, 1898.

Application filedMarch 31, 1898. Serial No. 675,910. N0 modem To an whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. BENES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Railway-Switches, of which thefollowing' is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic railway-switches, and pertains to a switch constructed and adapted to be operated from a moving car, all of which will be fully described hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide a switch mechanism, including an intermediately-pivoted operating member, coacting with rigid side walls, whereby a key or arm upon a moving car will by engagement with the rigid walls and the intermediately-pivoted device throw the frog for guiding the car either upon the switch or throw the frog to guide the car upon the main line.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a switch embodying my invention, a car shown approaching the switch for operating the switch mechanism for guiding the car to the switch. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the switch itself, showing it in a position for throwing the frog to guide the car on the straight or main track. Fig. 3 is a detached perspective view of the box containing the operating mechanism. Fig. 4 is a detached perspective View of the levers and links connecting the mechanism and the pivoted frog. Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view of the operating-key carried by the car. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, A indicates the main or straight track, B the switch or side track, and O a frog pivoted atthe point a, whereby its opposite free end will swing back and forth for guiding the careither upon the switch or for causing it to continue 011 the main or straight line, as is well under stood by those skilled in the art.

A. switch-mechanism box D is provided, which has a portion E, extending in the center of the main or straight track A, a lateral portion F, extending to one side and under the free end of the frog (1, and a parallel portion G, extending under the frog 0, making approximately a Z-shaped box. The portion E has its upper face provided with a plate having the diverging walls Z2, forming a contracted inlet-opening c, then bulged outward, as shown at d, forming approximately an oval-shaped recess, as shown, and terminating in the straight walls 6. The upper face of this portion E of the box is on a level with the road-bed or cobblestone, and the recess in the top of the box is below the level of the road-bed. The bottom of the inlet end of the key-guideway of this box D is inclined down* ward, as shown, and its outlet end 9 is inclined upward.

Situated within the approximately ovalshaped recess is an intermediately-pivoted member or lever 2', the said member being attached to the upper end of an operating-rod j, the lower end of the said rod resting in a cavity in the bottom of the box D. The intermediately-pivoted member 2 is a doublepointed member, as shown, and is firmly at tached to the upper end of this pivotal rod j in any desired or convenient manner. Rigidly connected to this pivotal rod is a crankarm 112, having pivotally connected to its free end a link at, the opposite end of the link being pivotally connected to its crank-arm p, the opposite end of the crank-arm being firmly attached to a pivotal bar q, the upper end of the said pivotal bar being firmly attached to the pivotal end of the frog 0 at the point a.

From this construction it will be readily understood that the oscillation of the intermediately-pivoted member i will, through the medium of the connection shown and described, throw the free end of the frog 0 back and forth for the purpose of throwing the switch either for the main or straight line or for the side or switch line.

The car K is provided at each end with a foot lever or rod 0", having its lower end en gaging a lever s, which has one end pivotally connected to the car. and has its opposite end provided with a slot for receiving the upper end of the switch-operating key or rod L.

Pivotally connected to this switch-rod L is a flange or shoulder t, and loosely sliding upon the rod is a plate u. Situated between this shoulder 15 and the plate a is a spring 22, the said spring serving to hold the key normally upward. The lower end of the key is guided and held in place through the medium of a U-shaped strap M,-having one end pivotally connected to a frame N at the end of the car and its opposite end held in place by a screw. 1

The object of this construction isthat by loosening the screw or bolt 10 the rod is detached and to be placed at the opposite end of the car. Each end of the car is provided with the foot mechanism for pressing the key downward. The lower end of the key has a free back-and -forth movement in the U- shaped strap M to be freely guided by the walls of the box D and by the intermediatelypivoted member t' for the purpose of throwing the frog.

The operation of my invention is as follows: In Fig. 1 the frog is set for carrying the car upon the main or straight line. The operator approaching the switch and desiring to have his car move from the main line to the side line or switch B presses upon the footpiece 0', which carries the key downward into the inlet f of the guideway, and the rod is guided by the walls I) to the adjacent pointed ends of the intermediately-pivoted member 2' and, passing around this to the opposite end of the approximately oval shaped recess, forces the opposite end of the intermediatelypivoted member 2' to the opposite side of the said cavity, thus. moving the frog and the intermediately-pivoted member to the position shown in Fig. 2, which throws the frog for guiding the car on the switch or side line. Should the next succeeding car wish to continue on the straight or main line, the intermediately-pivoted double-pointed memberz' is in the position shown in Fig. 2, whereby the depression of the operating key L is guided by the walls I) to the contracted'inlet c, and, the adjacent pointed end of the memher i being at the opposite side of this contracted opening, the key is automatically guided to the opposite side of the member and forces its opposite end over to the position shown in Fig. 1, which guides the car on the main or straight line.

Owing to this construction of the intermediately-pivoted member 2', situated in the oval-shaped cavity, its approach end controls the contracted opening 0 and forms a gate therefor, whereby the key L of the car is guided to the proper side for operating this member properly to throw the switch or frog 0 as may be desired by the operator. This construction enables a single key L to throw the frog for the main or side line and with-- out any attention on the part of the driver, simply requiring a depression of the footpiece 7', and the flanges or walls b, together with the intermediately pivoted member i, will automatically guide the key to the proper side for throwing the frog as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is v 1. A switch mechanism comprising a plate having an oval-shaped depression provided with contracted inlet and outlet ends and diverging walls leading to the contracted inlet, an oval-shaped lever intermediately pivoted in said recess and provided with pointed ends coacting with and forming a gate for the contracted outlet and inlet ends of said depressions, in combination with a vertically and laterally moving key guided by the inlet end of said lever and coacting with the walls of the contracted outlet end of the depression to'force the outlet end of the lever laterally, a movable frog, and a connection between said lever and the frog, substantially as described.

2 In a switch mechanism, a pivoted member adapted to operate the switch in combination with a car provided with a foot-piece at each end and a detachable vertically and laterally movable key adapted to be operated by the foot-piece, whereby it can be removed from one end of the car and placed at the other, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN J. BENES.

WVitnesses:

LOUIS A. WERNER, T. M. CARTER. 

